California State University applications hit record high for fourth year

LONG BEACH - Thousands more students will be clamoring to attend a California State University campus next year, but admission will likely be tough for many.

For the fourth year in a row, the CSU saw record numbers of applications from new students, highlighting the still-growing demand for the system's 23 campuses, CSU officials announced Thursday.

But as the CSU struggles under years of state funding cuts, enrollment next year is expected to remain flat. That means tens of thousands of prospective students will have to wait or attend another college or university system.

"At this point I'm prepared for anything," said Long Beach City College student Caroline Nash, who hopes to transfer to Cal State Long Beach in fall 2013.

"Whatever happens, happens," the 20-year-old said with a shrug, adding that she is prepared to wait another year or attend another campus that's in less demand if she's rejected.

As of Nov. 30, a record 763,517 potential freshman, transfer, credential and graduate students had applied for the fall 2013 semester, an increase of 12 percent over the previous year, according to numbers released Thursday.

Prospective students typically apply to more than one campus. The total number of individual applicants rose 10 percent to 294,926.

The CSU, which has about 427,000 students, has seen a nearly $1 billion cut in state funding since 2008. Earlier this year, the university system held applications pending the passage of Proposition 30, Gov. Jerry Brown's tax measure to fund education.

CSU spokesman Eric Fallis said the voters' approval of the measure helped the CSU avoid severe cuts in enrollment next fall, but the tax measure doesn't replace years of reductions. He said enrollment for fall 2013 is expected to remain the same as fall 2012 at around 90,000 new students.

"A lot of students and people think that passing Prop. 30 means we can increase enrollment, but what Prop. 30 did was essentially provide flat funding for the CSU," Fallis said. "Prop. 30 alone doesn't provide the funds we need to meet current and future enrollment demands."

Fallis attributed the burgeoning number of applications to a continuing economic and demographic trend. Higher education is increasingly essential to having the skills that match high-demand jobs and careers, and the population of college-age, college-ready students is increasing, he said.

Specific to transfer applicants this cycle, the system has seen a surge related to CSU's closing of the spring 2013 application cycle to all but a very limited number of students.

All 23 campuses saw a rise in applications from first-time freshman and transfer students. The number of freshman applicants rose to 173,985 from 166,028, while the number of transfer applicants soared to 108,726 from 92,806. Officials said the spike in applications from transfer students is due in part to the closing of the spring 2013 semester to all but a very limited number of students.

The CSU has also partnered with community colleges and school districts to build pathways to a four-year degree, Fallis added.

The number of graduate and credential applicants climbed to 12,215 from 9,849.

The applicants also reflected California's growing diversity.

Latino applicants continued to rise to 99,558, up from 86,147 from the previous year. The number of African-American, American Indian, Asian and white applicants also increased.

In recent years, the CSU has typically admitted about half of all applicants and enrolled about 16 to 19 percent of those admitted.

In fall 2011, the most recent numbers available, 710,835 students applied and 17 percent of those were enrolled. The numbers were down slightly from 2009.

The CSU has seen a growing number of so-called "impacted" campuses, where the available enrollment can't keep up with demand. More than half of all campuses are now listed as impacted for freshman and transfer students.

Cal State Long Beach this year was the most in-demand campus with 55,614 freshman applicants and 25,008 transfer applicants, according to CSU data.

Due to the growing demand, the university plans to admit less than 8 percent of freshmen and less than 12 percent of transfer students.

Cal State Long Beach President F. King Alexander said in a written statement that the system continues to receive record numbers of applications due to its affordability and quality.

"At a time when many people are questioning the value of a college or university degree, students and parents increasingly recognize the value of a Cal State Long Beach education," he said.